Rockies News: A couple of trades, Nolan Jones injury update, contract extensions more

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Just days away from Opening Day, the Rockies roster is shaping up and we are figuring out who will be on the squad come Thursday. The Rockies have made some moves that have started to indicate where they want to go on Opening Day, and they have a lot of fans scratching their heads. These moves won't indicate that any big-time names will be on the move, however, it may indicate that not much weight was given to the performances in the spring.

Two very questionable trades

The Rockies trade for a utility player and give up pitching....why?

On Thursday, March 21st, in a very questionable move, the Rockies acquired a talented outfielder/infielder in Greg Jones. Jones has had a couple of mediocre seasons in the minor leagues the last two years but offers something that the Rockies have lacked for quite a while, someone that can really steal bases at an elite rate.

Jones isn't a high average guy, and the most concerning thing is that he put up a strikeout rate over 35% each of the last two years between Double-A and Triple-A. The most frustrating part of this, is that the Rockies traded a solid pitching prospect away in Joe Rock. The former second round pick, just a few years ago, has flashed some really solid strikeout potential, while eating quite a bit of innings. This is just a confusing move for a team that has a lot of positional talent, while lacking significantly in the pitching department.

The Rockies are going to prospect block again, aren't they?

We thought that the Rockies had learned from their previous mistakes; the Rockies constantly acquired veteran talent, just to continue to keep their top prospects from getting a full chance in the major leagues. They seemed to have done that again when they acquired, 30-year-old outfielder, Jake Cave, from the Phillies in exchange for cash considerations.

On the surface, it's a low risk move, a trade for just cash is never a bad move.... except when the said move blocks a former first round pick from getting a decent chance at proving his major league ability (especially after dominating in spring training). I know the Rockies have said that they want someone that can play some centerfield, but they are getting an average to slightly above average defender and someone that has hit just .205 over the last three years. The desire to have a defensive centerfielder on your bench, when you have Michael Toglia ready to take off is so frustrating for Rockies fans. It's just another example of the Rockies prospect blocking and stunting Toglia's development.

Nolan Jones fouled ball of his knee

Fans had a very scary moment Saturday, as the star outfielder, Nolan Jones, fouled a ball off his knee. It looked pretty bad as Jones couldn't put any weight on the leg and had to be helped off the field completely. It looked to have gone right off his kneecap, which could have been a very bad injury. Jones said his right foot went numb after the injury, which is not a good sign.

The next day, Thomas Harding of MLB.com tweeted out that it was just a contusion and that the foul ball actually hit just below the kneecap, fans can breathe a sigh of relief. Jones said he could have played Sunday, though manager Bud Black opted to give him an extra day off, as he returned to the lineup Monday. Jones also believes that he should be fine for Opening Day after a few days' rest.

Bud Black announces the starting rotation

Kyle Freeland
Cal Quantrill
Austin Gomber
Ryan Feltner
Dakota Hudson

On Sunday, manager, Bud Black, announced that the starting rotation was set, and it's the same five that we have projected all along here at Rox Pile. There are no real surprises in the starting rotation, as the top three were set, and the final three were down to Hudson, Feltner and Peter Lambert. Lambert was designated with the "long-reliever" role that will certainly see some starts.

The only surprises here are really the order in which these are set. Quantrill looked really good this spring, while Gomber got lit up repeatedly this spring (25 hits, 14 earned runs over just 12.2 innings). I thought that the veteran (Hudson would earn the number four spot in the rotation, but the fact that Feltner will jump up one rung in the rotation makes it seem like if Lambert were to take a rotation spot, Hudson would be the odd man out and move to the bullpen.

The Rockies and a couple of contract extensions

Bud Black and Rockies discussing contract extension

Thomas Harding of MLB.com stated that the Rockies and Bud Black have been discussing a contract extension to keep Black with the club beyond the 2024 season. Black and Dick Monfort seem to have a good relationship and Monfort is extremely loyal to his employees (even sometimes to a fault). There seems to be some sort of agreement on a year-to-year basis that is flexible for both parties, and though they would probably like to get a deal done by Opening Day, even if that doesn't happen, I expect Black to be brought back beyond just this year.

The former NL Manager of the year, joined the Rockies prior to the 2017 season and had great success with back-to-back playoff appearances. The Rockies team during that time was loaded with talent like Arenado, Story, LeMahieu, Chuck Nazty, CarGo, Freeland, Marquez, Jon Gray and Senzatela. Black has gotten a lot of grief over the last couple of years, but the blame cannot be solely placed on him, as the club now is nowhere near as talented as the 2017 and 2018 clubs.

Rockies follow the MLB trend and extend star shortstop

For a team that seems to always be behind the eight ball, the Rockies broke that trend by extending star shortstop, Ezequiel Tovar to a very nice contract extension. The extension buys out two free agency years, running through 2030. It gives Tovar an average of just over $9M per year with a club option for 2031 of $20.5M. We break down the importance of it in more details right here. This is a huge step forward for the Rockies as they are a young team that will look to retain its youth group in similar ways the Braves, Brewers and Mariners have done.

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Rockies News: A couple of trades, Nolan Jones injury update, contract extensions and more!